Babe Ruth September 4, 1924 Mid-Week Pictorial Collage
Description
A slide of a collage of four photographs of Babe Ruth from page 19 of the September 4, 1924 edition of the New York Times Mid-Week Pictorial. The photographs show the upper half of his face (top), him posing in a batting pose (right), sliding (bottom), and fielding (left). The headline above the photographs reads, "Hitting Homers Not the "Babe's" Only Claim to Fame". The four captions with the photographs reads, "The Eyes that "Look Them Over": Batting Optics Whose Keenness and Accurate Timing Are as Helpful as His Powerful Shoulders and Mighty Swing in Fattening Ruth's Hitting Average. (TImes Wide World Photos.) One of the misfortunes that sometimes waits on genius is that pre-eminence in a special field often obscures other qualities of the same individual scarcely less remarkable. Lewis Carroll, author of "Alice in Wonderland," was wont to lament that the success of that farrago of clever nonsense had caused the public to overlook his noteworthy achievements as a mathematician. A similar plaint might be uttered by "Babe" Ruth, mightiest of home-run hitters. His idolizing public sees him only at the plate and waits breathlessly for his next circuit clout. Too little stress is laid upon the fact that he is a veritable Admirable Crichton of baseball, shining in every department of the game. He is a star of the first magnitude in fielding and base-stealing. Few outfielders in the league have covered more ground or pulled down more "impossible" ones. Despite his bulk, he is quick as a flash in getting to or around the bases. Last year he stole seventeen bases and promises to do as well this season. And it is not to be forgotten that in his early pitching years he was one of the most brilliant southpaws in the game. As an all-around player he ranks with the best in the history of baseball.", "Whe a Baby Bunt Takes The Place Of A Circuit Clout: The Guileful Ruth, "Crossing" the Pitcher by Dropping the Ball in Front of the Plate and Depending on His Speed to Reach First. (Times Wide World Photos.)", "Sliding Into Third: "Babe" Making The Bag In One of the Steals in Which Good Judgment, Combined With Speed, Remarkable in So Big a Man, Has Made Him Extraordinarily Successful. (Times Wide World Photos.)", and "Juding a Skyscraper: Ruth In The Right Garden Ready to Gobble Up a Fly Ball With the Brilliant Fielding Ability That Is Sometimes Overlooked Because of His Pre-eminence as a Batsman. (Times Wide World Photos.)" Information written on the physical slide, “NY Times”. See ruthba01_345.